Performance Documentation

In 2012, Adobe made its significant change to its employee performance evaluation system by replacing its traditional annual performance review with its new method, which includes a more frequent and less formal way of performance discussions. During the talks, the manager would mention their expectations and provide feedback concerning their performance. Additionally, they would discuss career development.

After two years of implementing the change, the firm saw a significant improvement. In contrast with the older system, the number of resigned workers decreased by 30%. Aside from that, the firm terminated 50% of people who did not meet the required performance level. Meaning, they were able to deal with the workers with performance issues directly. Do you think these employment terminations can backfire the firm legally? It depends on the situation. If the managers are doing the process properly and keeping the performance documentation, it should not get back to them.

What is Performance Documentation?

Performance documentation is a set of documents that provides information about the performance of a subject. Usually, businesses and organizations use this type of material to document the performance of their employees in the form of employee’s performance appraisal documentation and poor performance documentation. Aside from that, firms use this material in testing products or systems to provide information about their performance. They use this information as evidence and basis for its decision making.

Employee Performance Documentation

One of the essential uses of performance documentation is to show how employees perform in their job. Below are the benefits of employee performance documentation.

1. Business protection

To achieve a specific corporate goal or objective, you need to hire people that can meet the requirements that you set. With this reason in mind, you will monitor the performance of your employees and layoff the ones who don’t meet the said requirement. This action can push some employees to seek legal action, but your documentation will ensure that this scenario will not affect your firm.

2. Decision Making

Employee termination is just the last resort to managing your employees. Before it comes to that, you must follow specific rules on deciding the appropriate action that you take in regards to your worker’s employment. The documentation that you have must support the work that you are taking. You can also rely on this documentation to decide whether or not an employee deserves a promotion or salary increase.

3. Stored Records for the Future Managers

If you are a manager who is going to resign from the post, the replacement executive will refer to the employee performance documentation that you created for any decision making that he or she needs to do instead of starting from scratch.

10+ Performance Documentation Examples

Knowing the definition of performance documentation is not enough. Download the following examples to expand your understanding of this powerful tool.

1. Sample Performance Documenting Example

2. Performance Improvement Cycle Documentation Example

3. Art Performance Dociumentation Example

4. Standard Performance Documentation Policy Example

5. Supplier Performance Evaluation Documentation Example

6. Documentation of At Risk Clinical Performance Example

7. Performance Skill Verification Document Form Example

8. Performance Management Discipline Documentation

9. Simple High-Performance Documentation Example

10. Printable Performance Documentation Example

11. Instant Employee Performance Documentation

How to Make a Powerful Performance Documentation?

Creating performance documentation, especially if it is for employee performance, can be delicate, since it can lead to legal actions. However, as long you follow the following tips in developing documentation, you should be confident that you are doing it correctly.

1. Only Include Precise and Factual Information

When documenting a performance, you should only include the facts. For employee performance, write only the information that the employee provides and his or her actions. Aside from that, the information you write should be direct and clear.

2. Identify Witnesses

To strengthen the statements you included, invite attendees such as fellow leaders and teammates during the sessions. Let them provide examples and other relevant information. It will increase the reliability of the witnesses.

3. Use the Rules as a Reference

As a business owner, you can limit the actions that employees can do to the activities related to their job, which you can include in the employment contract during the recruitment period. Tie the statement you provide in the document to a specific company rule. It will help you make the appropriate decision in the future.

4. Keep the Previous Documentations

If you are documenting the performance of your students or employees, it is essential to keep the previous documentations to ensure that you will come up with the right choice for a particular situation in the future. It can show the progress of the performance of a specific individual, which is a crucial ingredient for making a decision.

5. Give a Balanced Feedback

Employees can either have more opportunities than strengths or the opposite. However, it is essential to keep it balanced when giving feedback.

6. Show your Support

Be professional. Show the employees the support that they need and let them know that you are willing to help to better their performance. After all, improving the employees’ performance is the essential reason for performance documentation, not the other way round.

Enhancing the performance of the subject is one of the essential purposes of performance documentation. With that said, it is crucial to be knowledgeable about this particular method. In this article, we have discussed the vital things about this type of documentation. Use this knowledge to enhance the way you write performance documentation.